


A Quiet Strength

by junko



Series: Curse of the Nue [20]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Birthday Party, Boys Kissing, Drinking, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-29
Updated: 2012-08-29
Packaged: 2017-11-13 03:32:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/498993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Completely annoyed with the stalemate he and Byakuya have fallen into, Renji ends up at a party at the Eleventh.  He falls into bed with someone completely unexpected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Quiet Strength

**Author's Note:**

> If you've never read a single previous installment of this story line, never fear! You can plunge forward. The only thing that might startle you is that Kenpachi Zaraki is completely aware of Renji/Byakuya, thanks to previous drunken confessions by Renji --also, my Kouraku is pretty fabulous, though he still makes the occasional pretense at being a womanizer. (His birthday: July 11, which slides nicely into the time frame of this story.)

Renji was drunk--really, really drunk.

He told himself several bowls ago that this was a bad idea; he should stop while he could still see straight. Tomorrow was going to suck, and a hangover sure as hell wasn’t going to improve it. 

But he’d found his way back to the Eleventh, where a party was in full swing. It was a much larger gathering than usual and it seemed to be somebody’s birthday. There was singing, lots of singing, and streamers hanging from the porch lanterns--although closer inspection revealed them to be strips of toilet paper. Someone had handed Renji some pink-frosted cake, and there were a ton of people from other divisions wandering around getting wasted.

The sake was really good and plentiful.

Renji couldn’t figure out whose party this was, however. Even piss-eyed drunk Renji remembered all the important birthdays at his former regiment. Yumichika’s wasn’t until September, the captain and Ikkaku both had November birthdays, and there was usually snow on the ground for Yachiru’s birthday in February. He was almost drunk enough to wonder if it was time for his birthday already, but it was still early summer, and besides, he wasn’t at the Eleventh any more. It would be pretty rude of them to throw his birthday party without him, not that he would necessarily put it past them. 

Finally, the mystery was solved when Captain Kyōraku stumbled over and threw an arm around Renji, and sloppily asked, “Are you going to give the birthday boy a kiss?”

“You’re too tall for me. Bad enough I’m going to have kiss your furry whiskers, I’m not looking up to do it.” Kyōraku looked so disappointed at this, however, that Renji considered, “Alright, maybe, if you let me dip you.”

“Oh, I would definitely swoon for you, Mr. Renji,” Kyōraku laughed. “But can you support my weight?”

“You saying I can’t? Are you challenging me?”

Kyōraku smiled devilishly. “Why yes, I think I am.”

So somehow Renji found himself grabbing Kyōraku around his waist, tipping him back, and planting a deep, passionate kiss on his lips. The beard wasn’t nearly as gross as Renji thought it would be. In fact, it was kind of soft and ticklish. And, Kyōraku had that all those luxurious curls, as well, which Renji’s fingers snaked their way into. The captain smelled like a noble, too--all manful but scented of something rich, like incense. His reistsu was surprisingly powerful and deep, and he tasted of expensive sake.

“Whoa, whoa! Break it up! This is a barracks not a brothel,” boomed Zaraki’s voice. “And anyway, you two keep going like that and I might get jealous.”

“Oh? Of whom?” Kyōraku broke their kiss to bat his eyelashes at Captain Zaraki. He was holding on to his hat with one hand, and the other draped casually over Renji’s shoulder. Suddenly, seeing all the hair on Kyōraku’s thick, muscular arms, Renji realized what he was doing and almost dropped the captain. 

Meanwhile, Zaraki tilted his head and was tapping a finger against his lips, as if trying to decide. “I don’t know,” Zaraki finally said, watching as Renji untangled himself awkwardly from Kyōraku. “I mean who knew you were so butch, Abarai? And, yet, there’s always the appeal of conquering a pretty noble captain.”

“Oh, I would be far too easy to conquer and never hold your attention long, Kenpachi,” Kyōraku said, with a dismissive wave at Zaraki. But, turning his attention to look into Renji’s brightly blushing face, he added, “But, indeed! Who knew you were so ardent, Mr. Renji? That may have been the best birthday kiss I’ve had from someone I’ve never slept with.”

“Yeah, well, sorry about that. I might be a little frustrated,” Renji admitted drunkenly. “I’ve got a lot of pent up ‘ardent’ right now.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Abarai, not this again,” Zaraki said with a grunting sort of sigh. He came over to perch the porch railing. He tucked his hands behind his head, and leaned back against the wooden column. The bells in his hair jingled softly. He pinned Renji under the intensity of his single, visible eye. “Stop pinning after prissy, emotionally-stunted ninnies.”

“Oi, my captain is not a ninny,” Renji said, taking a lurching step forward, ready to defend Byakuya’s honor. “He’d kick your ass any day.”

“Let him try,” Zaraki laughed, “But, admit it, Abarai. You didn’t argue the rest. Even you think he’s prissy and emotionally-stunted.”

Renji shrugged grumpily, “Eh. It’s part of his charm.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Zaraki said, sitting up a little and crossing his arms in front of his barrel chest. “But then ask yourself why you’re kissing this guy so hard—“

“Hello? It’s because I’m charming and irresistible,” Kyōraku said with a hand on his chest.

Zaraki ignored him and jabbed a finger at Renji “--You need a real lover.”

“Oh yeah? You offering?” Renji asked belligerently.

“Ha! You’re pretty tough, but you can’t handle what I’ve got. Besides, you’ve been bent over too much already,” Zaraki added. 

Renji blinked back the images that assaulted his brain. “Oh. There is that.”

“Yeah, see,” Zaraki said standing up and coming over to give Renji a strong pat on the arm, “You’re not a very good bottom, are you, boy? Too much fight in you.”

Renji was just wasted enough to add, “And I fucking hate being tied down.”

"Good to know," Zaraki nodded sagely, as though taking notes for a later engagement. “Yet I can't figure how it is that Kuchiki doesn’t know this about you. He’s a crap-ass captain and a fuck-all lover if he doesn’t understand something so basic about your personality.”

“Fuck you,” Renji said. “He’s the best captain ever.”

“Sure, okay, but he’s clearly a shitty boyfriend,” Zaraki said kindly. He threw an arm all the way around Renji. It was an odd sensation to be tucked so neatly under the captain’s arm, feeling small in comparison to such a giant man. This close, Zaraki didn’t smell nearly as good as Kyōraku, however. In fact, the captain stunk of sweat and dust, and Renji’s nose caught the subtle, coppery scent of freshly spilled blood. Zaraki steered Renji through the wide, open doors of the mess hall, where the majority of the party-goers congregated around plates of treats and tapped casks of sake. He gestured broadly, “So you've got your pick. Who here you going to take home, Abarai?”

Renji scanned the room. Kyōraku, who they’d somehow rudely left behind on the porch, had attracted a large number of celebrants. Pretty much all the usual suspects were there—most of the lieutenants, a smattering of captains, and, of course, all of the Eleventh. Renji could see Hisagi trying to get close to Matsumoto, who was flirting outrageously with Ikkaku, of all people. She was completely oblivious to both Hisagi’s desperate vies for attention and Yumichika’s dirty glares. Over in the far corner Kira was slumped on a bench looking miserable, while Momo seemed to be trying to cheer him up—though knowing her, she was probably telling ‘guess how awesome captain Aizen is?’ stories. Speaking of looking depressed and out of place, Kyōraku’s lieutenant Nanao Ise and Kurotsuchi’s clone daughter, Nemu, stood in the back staring out at the crowd like a couple of pathetic wallflowers. Meanwhile, the fourth division’s gangly lieutenant Isane Kotetsu bravely wandered through the crowd with a plate of candies and confections.

“I’m hitting that,” Renji decided suddenly, pointing to Kotetsu. “Besides, I’m hungry and she comes with food. If Kotetsu doesn’t work out, I’m going for the clone.”

“Right on,” Zaraki laughed, giving Renji a shove in the right direction. “That’s the spirit.”

#

Renji discovered, however, that he was out of practice flirting with women. He was bold enough to help himself to a few sweets from Kotetsu’s plate, and he managed to stop her from moving away, but then he found he wasn’t entirely sure how to proceed. She was, at least, aware that he was interested because she was blushing and giving him coy looks under her lashes.

He tried out a standard line, “Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?”

“Yes,” she said, “Though usually when they’re high on pain killers. I think, in fact, you once proposed to me.”

“Did I?” Renji asked a little surprised. Though, he could totally see how it might have happened. He did spend plenty of time laid up at the Fourth. He had a vague memory to proposing to all his nurses, including the male ones, at one point. He took the last strawberry-flavored daifuku from her plate and popped in his mouth, “How’d that go over?”

“Less well when you were just some thuggish seated officer at the Eleventh,” she admitted. 

“But better now that I’m a lieutenant?”

“Maybe,” she batted her eyelashes again. “Has being at the Sixth taught you how to treat a lady?”

Renji scratched the back of his neck, but shrugged, “No. Not in the least. I’m still a thug deep in my heart. In fact, I’m probably what you’d call a bad boy. Honestly, I was planning to just use you roughly and forget about you in the morning.”

Her blush deepened, and Renji couldn’t tell if it was because she was horrified by that idea or thrilled by it. “Oh, uh… well,” she stammered. “That has a certain… appeal.”

“Really?” Renji gave her a toothy smiled, and leaned in close to whisper in her ear, “Because I know somewhere we can go.”

Her thin fingers reached out and captured his to give them a little encouraging squeeze, “Okay.”

#

They’d scurried off to the Eleventh’s supply room, and were now going at it behind a stack of crates marked ‘medical supplies.’ Zabimaru was propped up against the wall, as if standing sentry.

Renji liked that Kotetsu was tall. She was even taller than Byakuya, by at least an inch, and she seemed to enjoy kissing a whole hell of a lot more than the captain ever had. 

In fact, they hadn’t progressed a whole lot further than that yet, though Renji’s hand had slid under her shitagi to explore her small breasts. He’d kind of forgotten the appeal of breasts. They were a lot of fun to play with. Most guys he knew liked them the way Matsumoto grew them—humongous and bubbly--but Renji had always secretly preferred smaller, firmer mounds. In fact, Kotetsu was, physically, kind of his feminine ideal—narrow hipped and almost-but-not-quite boyish. 

He pulled back from their kiss to loosen his obi. He wanted to see her topless, but it was time to offer up a little in return. Thanks to Byakuya’s predilections, Renji had gotten pretty good at the whole slutty undressing dance, so he treated Kotetsu to a little show. Her eyes went wide as coins at the sight of his tattoos. “Oh,” she said, her hands reaching out to his chest to sweep up to his shoulders and down his arms, “I’d forgotten just how many you have.”

“There’s more,” Renji promised. He started to reach for his hakama, when she stopped him.

“Wait,” she said with a sweet smile, “Let me return the favor first.”

Though she blushed furiously, her hands were steady as she shrugged out of the uniform top. As she stood topless in the moonlight, she stared back at him boldly, proudly, though, he thought, perhaps with a touch of fear of rejection. He smiled at her. What kind of fool wouldn’t appreciate a body like hers? And, such delicate pink nipples, like rosebuds!

Renji couldn’t wait to taste her, so he pulled her close for another kiss and then began working his way down along all her subtle, delicate curves. As he kissed and licked her body, he was thrilled with the all the sounds she made. Kotetsu might surprise him by being a noisy lover, and that thought only encouraged more aggression from him. He took his time, but eventually was on his knees, his arms wrapped around her hips. With a smile, he tugged down her hakama and underwear. 

He was surprised to see steel-gray hair, but he buried his face in it. Ah, the smell of a woman, and the tangy taste of her. He lapped it up hungrily, like a starving man. Her fingers grabbed for at his topknot painfully. Pulling away, he squinted up at her, “Jeez, girl, no hair pulling. Isn’t that supposed to be your line, anyway?”

“It’s too intense, Renji. No one’s ever done that for me,” she admitted, trying to catch her breath.

“You don’t like it?” he asked, and then, just because he knew it would drive her crazy, he blew a thin breath right at the wettest, most sensitive spot.

She cried out and grabbed his hair again as if trying to use it to steady her knees. 

“Ow!” he said, gently pulling her hips toward him with his hands to remind her that he had a hold of her. “Seriously, knock it off or I swear I’ll quit.”

“No, no,” she panted. “Don’t stop. But… I didn’t think guys liked this sort of thing.”

“I don’t know what other guys do with you, but if they’re not doing this, they’re a bunch of idiots,” Renji said. “It’s like my second favorite thing with a girl. And, if done right, it makes my most favorite thing that much better, because you’re all hot and ready for it.”

“Oh, that sounds… good, but… I think I might faint.”

“Oh, for crying out loud,” Renji said with a sigh and letting her hips go reluctantly. “Then lay down, why don’t you?” He got up and pulled the top parts of his uniform all the way out of the hakama. He took the white shitagi, and spread it out on the floor of the supply room for her. Bunching the black kisode into a ball he, offered it as a pillow. 

Clutching onto his kisode, she looked sort of uncertain and shy again. So Renji took her hand and sat down on the floor with her. 

“Let’s start over,” he offered, and ran his fingers through her hair, stopping to play with the funny little braids she had off to the side. Then he kissed her lips and nibbled at her ear, all the while nudging her on to her back gently, deliberately. She sighed against his shoulder, easing back into it. By the time he reached her breasts again, her fingernails were digging into his shoulders. And, when he reached her belly, she spread her legs eagerly. 

Renji really did enjoy going down on women. He always had, for some reason. Maybe it was his own weird quirk, but he reveled in the sensation of being completely lost in their overpowering scent, which only grew stronger the more aroused they got. He even liked pulling at hair with teeth and using his tongue to probe deeply, teasingly. And, with women, it hardly mattered if they came early, because they could go again without a break.

She’d been moaning for a long time before she finally shouted, and made another grab for his hair. “Oh, Renji, now! I want you inside me now! Please!”

Well, it would be rude not to comply, wouldn’t it?

Renji hardly had his hakama all the way down before Kotetsu wrapped her long, lean legs around him, driving him into her hot, tight warmth. She pulled his face back up to hers as they started rocking together, and she frantically kissed her taste from his lips, his tongue. 

He’d thought he should probably go gentle with Kotetsu, but she set an entirely different pace, greedily rising to meet his every thrust. And she was shouting for him, too--screaming at him to take her hard, fast. Her fingernails were leaving scratches on his back, but he hardly felt them as they rushed toward completion. 

“Oh god,” she panted in his ear, “I want you so much. You’re so strong, so gorgeous. Take me, take me harder!”

He gave her what she wanted, even though he worried that it was probably too rough for someone from the Fourth. But, she kept at him to go with all his might, until they finally reached a fevered crescendo and he came in a hot rush. She was shuddering beneath him soon after, sinking her teeth into his shoulder to stifle her scream.

 _It was always the quiet ones, wasn’t it?_ He thought to himself with a smile as they disengaged and rearranged into a cuddle.

“You weren’t a bad boy, at all,” she mused absently after a moment, her finger tracing the tattoo at his neckline. “If fact, you were very, very good.”

“So were you,” he said, kissing her forehead and nuzzling his nose in her gray curls.

“Next time you propose to me, I’m going to say yes.”

Renji chuckled a little, “What would people say? Somebody from the Fourth taking up with a thug from the Eleventh?”

“You’re in the Sixth now,” she pointed out, with a little tap on his skin. “You’re totally respectable.”

“I don’t think you know me well enough to say that for sure. I could still be a very bad boy.”

“Hmmm,” she murmured sleepily. “Maybe so, but I think that’s what I like.”

#

Renji thought about leaving her once she fell asleep in his arms, but it turned out he _was_ too much of a gentleman and the idea of leaving a naked woman alone in the Eleventh seemed irresponsible, to say the least.

Somewhere around dawn they said their good-byes. Renji feared she might wake up clingy and demand to see him again, but, once again Kotetsu surprised him. She didn’t seem to have any expectations for more, and yet she didn’t seem bitter about their casual sex either. In fact, she left him with a very friendly kiss and a wave over her shoulder at the gate.

Maybe she had a lot more experience with guys like him than she’d led on. Perhaps he _could_ see her again some time. The other odd thing was that Renji had no hangover. He felt refreshed… almost healed, like Isane Kotetsu’s quiet strength had filled him, permeated under his skin, to settle against his heart.

Perhaps he could even face taking Rukia to that horrible tower later today, and, maybe, finally, stand up to Byakuya...

Zabimaru purred contentedly against his hip.

**Author's Note:**

> I actually think there's a lot of potential for Fourth Division/Eleventh Division romances. However, I basically flipped a coin for this pairing. I can see how Isane would appeal to Renji, though. Her body type is a taller version of Rukia's, but she's different enough to be new and exciting. I considered pairing Renji/Nemu, though, because that girl has the saddest life ever.
> 
> Also, for the record, I almost went Renji/Zaraki... god help us all.


End file.
